If you want to know the basics of an MSM smear campaign, Dean Barnett provides a step-by-step description of how it’s done:
I think it’s time to take another brief look at the left’s method of smear dissemination. Yesterday on a blog hosted by the prestigious magazine the Atlantic, a post popped up at 11:49 a.m. with the breathless title, “Here We Go.” The post read in its entirety, “Todd Palin’s former business partner files an emergency motion to have his divorce papers sealed. Oh God.” The post linked to the Alaskan court system where you could see the motion if you cared to click through.
Although the author didn’t care to make his innuendo explicit, the insinuation was clear – the National Enquirer had previously reported on what it called “a rumor” that the former business partner in question had had an affair with Sarah Palin. The breathless title and the brevity of the post implied that the smoking gun for the affair laid in the court filings that the former business partner wished to conceal. Naturally, because the purported scoop had the imprimatur of the Atlantic, many other news sources picked it up in rapid order.
Thus, the method of the smear mechanism reveals itself – print a lot of speculative crap, all while maintaining a malign indifference as to whether or not you can prove said speculative crap. Actually nailing down a story before running it? That’s so 20th century, at least in the virtual pages of the Atlantic. Doing actual reporting to confirm life-damaging rumors before circulating them? Such quotidian tasks are obviously beneath an Atlantic blogger’s pay grade.
Meanwhile, Michelle Malkin juxtaposes the Palin smears with the hagiographic treatment afforded the Obamas. And it’s no good claiming that this is limited to the tabloid media. Barnett’s post makes it obvious that precisely the same thing has been going on in the “respectable” outlets.
There are countless examples of major broadsheets and weekly “news” magazines in which fawning Obama coverage appears side-by-side with hopelessly dishonest coverage of the phony troopergate scandal and other smears. These people have jumped the shark.
The good news: the media bias is so over-the-top this time that it will probably help McCain-Palin win the election.
Comments 5
You are falling for it, David. First of all, it has been the Republicans who have been master of the smear - remember Lee Atwater and his apologies? Second, these so-called smears are not being plastered all over the respectable media, but the McCain team are doing their best to get them in there by drawing attention to them. It’s a classic tactic to gain sympathy for their core vote, but is a desperate attempt to make something out of a very poor choice of running mate.
Posted 08 Sep 2008 at 8:43 am ¶“And it’s no good claiming that this is limited to the tabloid media.”
Where was this claim made?
For my part, I just pointed out that Us Weekly isn’t a serious news source. Obviously you agree as you went and dug up some more credible evidence to support your original post.
Posted 08 Sep 2008 at 10:19 am ¶Lee Attwater, geez Marc, he is a pup in all this. Hell, what do you think the Burr-Hamilton duel was all about? Hamilton was the US politician that turned smear into an art form, and he was a founding father.
Posted 08 Sep 2008 at 11:56 am ¶David, you probably won’t run this but are you aware that the so-called smear you cite is from Andrew Sullivan, a right wing if rather maverick conservative blogger?
Posted 09 Sep 2008 at 3:19 pm ¶I’m aware of it. Sullivan was once pretty sensible, but for some reason he has come unglued. His blog reads more and more like those nutroot freak shows (Daily Kos, et al).
Posted 09 Sep 2008 at 7:13 pm ¶Post a Comment